I was a late comer to watching 30 Rock. Over the last couple of years I’ve seen most of the episodes and while it was never “must watch TV” for me, it had some funny moments. In the last season there was a bit about intentionally creating bad TV shows and one of them was the homonym game show. In this scenario the host spoke a word and the contestant gave the meaning they thought it was. In every case they were wrong and the host cackled at the contestant’s frustration. Maggie’s mention of the mandoline made me think of it. Just don’t think she is using the musical instrument. Take a look…

Whenever I bake a ham for a holiday, ( use the Derby Ham recipe I shared- it is the only one I make!) I always get the biggest one I can find. I think I look forward to the dishes I make with leftover ham more than I do the actually holiday dinner. Ham and scrambled eggs is one of my favorites. I sauteé cubed ham in a little butter, then scramble eggs into the ham. Nom Nom.

Anyhow, this recipe for Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin is a huge hit at our house. I adapted this from a slow cooker recipe found in my ancient and trusty Pillsbury cookbook. It works well in the slow cooker, but I prefer the browned and crispy edges I get in the oven. If you want to do this in the crock pot, follow the directions, and cook on high for 3 hours, then turn to low for another 2 ½ hours.

To slice the potatoes I use an $8 little mandoline slicer I got at TJ Maxx. It sits firmly on the top of a mixing bowl, and I quickly get beautiful, even slices. I have a beautiful, expensive mandoline that I use, but this is quicker, and has a safety feature that keeps me from slicing my fingers! I just chop the onions by hand. Don’t judge me on my knife skills… I know I stink!

I love taking leftovers of this casserole to work during the week. There is not much better than leftover leftovers!

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin

What you need:

6 medium potatoes, sliced to 1/8” with skin on

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 ½-2 cups cooked ham, cubed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 10 ¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup milk

½ tsp dried thyme leaves

What you do:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13×9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer potatoes, onions ham and cheese. I usually do three layers, dividing these ingredients into thirds. In a bowl, mix soup, milk and thyme leaves, then pour this mixture over the layered ingredients. Cover in foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and soft. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes, then serve. This is great with green beans or a tossed salad.

Looks great- I am still recovering from a mandoline accident that happened over three weeks ago- After 25 years as a professional chef and no stitches this accident made up for it! Please be careful with it – a benriner is a safer tool – Love your posts. Chef Elizabeth